Safety cranking device.



E. B. OALKIN S.

SAFETY GRANKING DEVICE.

APPLIQATION FILED ()OT. 12, 1910.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY.

B. B. UALKINS. v

SAFETY GRANKING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 12, 1910. 1,002, 99, Patented Sept. 12,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND B. GALKINS, F WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY GRANKING DEVICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Application filed October 12, 1910. Serial No. 586,676.

- To all whom it may concern:

safety cranking devices, and has for its object to provide a safe and effective cranking mechanism for use in starting gas or other explosion engines.

A particular object is to provide a safety device to be applied between the usual starting crank and the crank shaft or fly wheel of an engine, and arranged to operatively connect with each of these parts,'for the purpose of starting the engine, and for preventing injury to the operator due to the back-firing and sudden reversing or starting of the engine.

My invention consists of the various details of construction, arrangement and combination of the parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are obtained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation and part section; showing thedevice applied to an engine, the cranking parts being shown in idle position. F ig. 2 is an end view of the device. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sec tion, on line 83 of Fig. 2; showing the construction and arrangement of the device, as when all of the parts are in idle or resting position. Fig. 4 is a similar longitudinal section showing the device operatively connected to the shaft of the engine ready for the cranking operation. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view showing the automatic releasing of the clutch when the. engine back fires. Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 66 of Fig. 1; showing the ratchet and pawl mechanism. F ig. 7 is a perspective view of the female clutch member.

In the drawings, 2 represents the crankbox of a gas or other explosion engine, and 3 the crankshaft of the engine, which projects through the casing 2, and is preferably reduced at its free end 4, and provided with a pin or a series of projecting parts 5. These two latter parts comprise the male member of the usual clutch employed for starting the engine. The male clutch 'member may be detachably applied to the crankshaft 3 if desired. It is preferred to sup port my safety cranking device. by means of a cheek-piece, which consists of a cylindrical part 6, having a flange 7, by means of which the support is secured to the-casing 2 of the engine, by a series of bolts or screws 8. The cheek-piece 6 is preferably bored out to uniform diameter throughout its length. Any other suitable form of support may be employed instead of the cheek-piece, which I do not tion. v

My safety cranking mechanism comprises the following parts: 9 represents a cylinder which may be inserted part way into the cheek-piece 6, and is held in rigid position by set-screws 10. The cylinder 9 is bored out from end to end to receive certain of the working parts of the device. 11 represents the usual hand starting-crank such as employed for cranking the engines of automobiles, which is mounted upon the reduced outer end 12, of an auxiliary shaft or rod 13, which is disposed concentrically in the cylinder 9. Shaft 13 is longer than the cylinder 9,' so that its opposite ends normally project slightly beyond the ends of said cylinder. Shaft 13 should'be positioned truly concentric to the crank-shaft 3 of the engine. Upon the inner end of shaft 13 is mounted a female clutch member, which consists of a sleeve 14., which operatively fits the enlarged end of shaft 13, and is held in place upon, and driven with said shaft by means of a pin 15 which pierces both sleeve 14 and shaft 13. The ends of pin 15 are disposed in reversely arranged oblique slots 16l6 whichare cut in the opposite sides of the sleeve 14, the arrangement of the slots '16 being such that, when pressure is applied to either end of the sleeve, this part'may be moved longitudinally and also spirally along shaft 13, a distance corresponding to the length of the slots. The diameter of sleeve lt is preferably the same as the larger bore of the cylinder 9, and serves to hold shaft 13 concentric in said cylinder. The outer end of sleeve 1a is formed into an enlarged hollow cup or head 17, which is providedinteriorly with oppositely facing clutch jaws 18, for engaging the pin or projections 5 of the crank-shaft 3,. for turning said shaft in the direction for starting the engine. The arrangement claim as part of my invenion - ment with the male clutch member. 5, by

means of a coil spring 19 which is carried by shaft 13. 'Theinner end of spring 19 bears against a shoulder 20 whicheis formed by counter-boring the outer end of cylinder 9. The outer end of Spring 19 is inserted in amounter-bored sleeve 21, which is secured to /the shaft l3,by apin 22. The outer end of sleeve 21 serves as a-stop for the crank,

11, the latter being made rigid on ,shaft 13, by. a pin 23. The shaft 13 is intended'to be rotated in but one direction, that is to say,

, in the direction for'starting the engine, and

thisshaft is prevented from rotating in the opposite direction, by means of a ratchet gear 24, and a series'of pawls 25-25, which are disposed in perforations 26 formed in the opposite sides of the cylinder 9. The

"pawls are" constantly held in engagement with the teethlof the ratchet 24 by a spring 27. which is secured to the. c linder 9, by a -screw-28. The-free ends 0 spring 27 are -perforated to receive screws or studs 29'- carried by the pawls 25. The outer end of ratchet 24: when the devicev is at rest, normally bears against a; 'sh'oulder'30 within the cylinder 9, and it is held in such-position-by the *sprin 19 which The 0 constantly exerts its tension to old shaft 13 and the female. clutch member away from crankshaft 3, as shown in Figs. 1- and 3. When the parts, are in; the latter position shoulder 31,01 the female clutch member bears against the inner .end of the cylinder9.

eration of my device is as follows 1 To'cran an engine, the operator first takes cra hold of the crank .11. and throws his weight against the outer end of shaft. 13, which shifts said shaft and the female clutch member 17 inwardly from the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 3 to that shown in1Fig;4,.w-l1ich interlocks the clutch members, 4 -Then by turning the crank and shaft 13- -in the direction ermitted by theratchet and pawls, the-- -shaft 3, and the fly wheel (not shown) of the enginemay be started in the running direction.- 'sDuring thescranking operation the operator shou, maintainhis pressure against the end of shaft'13, so as to hold I the clutch parts interlocked. As soon as the engine is started, the pressure upon shaft 13" should be relaxed, and then spring 19 will instantly shift the said shaft and clutch l7 back/to resting position,"( see Figs. 1 and 3) and thereby break the connection between the clutch parts. In case the engine backfires while the operator is in the act of cranking, as lastdescribed, and the engine is suddenly reversed, the pawls 2525, one or both of which are-always in positive engagement with the ratchet 24, will hold shaft 13 and crank 11 from'bein rotated in the direction reverse to that whic the crank is being turned. Should the engine backo fire orsuddenly reverse, as described, the

power of the engine isinstantly exerted,

through the positive connection between'the pin '5 and the. jaws' 18, 1,againstl 'tlierfemale clutch member 17 snveu; and not being allowed to rotate shaft 13'because of the ratchet and pawls, forces the said sleeve to the'right along shaft 13, against the tension of. a cushion spring '33 which'is interposed between the-end ofsleeve 14: and the ratchet 24. The spring'33 is employed for holding the female clutch 17 extended beyondthe endof shaft 13,} for receivingflthe male clutch member for permitting the ordinary cranking work. By the provision {of the "spring 33., the sleeve 141s, allowditd yield.

away from the ';male clutch-finmber sufii ciently tobreak the positive connection between the clutch parts, as shown in Fig. '5, wheneverthe shaft 3 is reversed by the backfiring of the engine. tinues to holdshaft 1'3 rigidly inthe com- If the operator conressed position, as shown by the full lines 4 1n. -Figs. & and 5, each-turn of the crankshaft .3 of the engine will cause the" clutch sleeve 14 to reciprocate upon the shaft 13. In case the engine back-fires,-theshaft 13 is held from backward rotation by. the pawl 25and the'ratchet-24. Theclutch-member- 17 being loosely mountedon shaft 13 will be rotated backward by pin 5. But the slots-u 16 are so inclined-that their engagement with the pin 15, held stationa 'by shaft 13,

causes the clutch member-17 to emoved out-' wardly' on shaft 13 against.,-the.."f orce of.

spring 33, thus breaking thegfibnnection between the cram-k ll and,th e'engine shaft 3.-

'Inorder to facilitatetheautomatic releasing of the clutch I parts, :whe'n the engine tartsup in the'running -direction before the operator relaxes his pressure on the shaft 13,- the face of.' the jaws 18, as 18 are. formed into spiral cams, so that when the-engine is driven forward by the firing of its cyhnders, the clutch pin 5 will glide smoothly over the cam'faces 218. and break the positive connect-ion bf the clutch. Under the foregoing construction and arrangement of the parts of-the device, it is impossible for the engine,

."when driven in the wrong direction by reason of its back-firing, to efi'ect the reversing of shaft '13 and crank 11, and thereby inflict an injury upon the person engaged in cran 'ng the engine. Anduf the engine starts up 1n the right direction while the member, a clutch operator is rigidly holding shaft 13 in its compressed or operative position, the clutch connection Wlll also be broken without danin shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with-the crank-shaft of a gas engine, and a clutch member carried thereby, of an auxiliary shaft arranged in line with but spaced from the said clutch member carried by said auxiliary shaft comprising a sleeve and a cup-like head, said head having jaws for engaging and interlocking with the first clutch member, said sleeve capable of longitudinal and spiral movement on said auxiliary shaft for breaking the connection between said clutch members when the engine back-fires, a spring for holding said sleeve 'in extended position for interlocking with the first clutch member for starting the enfor permitting no, and a crank for rotating said auxiliary shaft and said sleeve in one direction.

2. The combination with an engine and its crank-shaft, and a clutch member carried by said crankshaft, of an auxiliary shaft supported in line with said crank shaft, means for normally holding said'auxiliary shaft spaced from the crank-shaft, means said auxiliary shaft to be shifted end-wise toward said crank shaft, a yieldable clutch member carried by said auxiliary shaftand driven therewith, said clutch member adapted for interlocking with the first clutch member when said auxiliary shaft is shifted longitudinally, said second clutch member adapted for sliding on said auxiliary shaft for breaking the connection with said first clutch member when the engine back-fires, means for manually operating said auxiliary shaft in the direction for starting the engine, and means for 1preventing the rotation of said auxiliary sha in the opposite direction by the backfiring of the engine.

3. The combination with the crank-shaft of an engine, and an auxiliary shaft arranged concentric to, but spaced from, said crank-shaft,'.of a two-part clutch adapted for operatively connecting said shafts for starting the engine, one member of said clutch being rigidly mounted on said crankshaft, the'second clutch member carried by said auxiliary shaft and capable of longitudinal movements on said shaft toward or away from said first clutch member, a spring for normally holding said second clutch member in engaging position, and a handcrank for operating said shafts in the direction for starting the engine.

4:. A safety cranking device, comprising a hollow cylinder, a shaft journaled in said cylinder, a ratchet gear carried by said shaft and a series of pawls carried by said cylinder for preventing the rotation of said shaft in one direction, a clutch membercomprising a sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a spring for normally holding said sleeve partially extended beyond one end of said shaft, and a crank for manually operating said shaft and said sleeve in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND B. CALKINS. Witnesses:

JEROME B. COOPER, F; It. OALKiNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

